The Masters' Arc
by Jack D'Alyea
Summary: The Masters of each region must pull togther to protect the future of their world. However, what will it cost them in the end? Red/Green, Gold/Kris, Brendan/May, hinted Silver/Barry, warnings and disclaimer inside.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hahahaha! My first fanfic! This is a contest between me and author Longing Dream. See his page for the rules. This is a weird jumbling of Pokémon related stuff, manga, anime and mostly game verse.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the large crazy world of Pokémon, though I do own a few games and a very cool hat. The OCs are mine, and this is rated M for eventual violence, potty mouthedness, and general smut and naughtiness. Read and review and love!

Longing Dream: LOVE HUGGIES!

Me: GTFO my story *flail*

Longing Dream: *squeezes story* But, but, but Huggies of Love!

"Red."

Slowly, he opened his eyes. His crimson gaze stared into the unending darkness around him. He was floating, and he could not realize if he was dreaming or not since he was dressed only in boxers. The voice cleared its throat and Red whirled around to see a frighteningly familiar grey face with feline-like features.

'_Mewtwo._'He did not speak, but the thought reverberated through the darkness.

A smile graced the pale features as the Pokemon replied telepathically. '_It's been a long time, Red. You've grown.' _ A shadow edged mirror appeared, showing Red's bedroom, his body curled next to his lover's in a deep embrace. Mewtwo saw the smile creep on Red's face as he watched the scene. Then his face grew serious as the window faded. '_Forgive me, but I must ask you to step back up as Master. The duty you were relieved of needs you.'_

'_Mt. Silver.'_

_ 'Yes.' _ Mewtwo's frown was mirrored on Red's face. '_A gathering has been called. All Champions and Masters will attend. I was chosen to bring you.'_

_ 'When?' _ Even though it was a thought it held sorrow and resolution. Mewtwo felt the sense of duty that radiated from him.

'_Three days. Call me then, and I will take you to the Mountain.' _ Mewtwo slowly faded into the inky darkness, and red felt himself falling, falling…

Red sat up quickly, feeling strange. It could not have been a dream. He shook his head, shaggy ebony strands falling into his eyes. The empty spot next to him said that Green already left for the gym. Stretching and yawning, he rose from the bed with red eyes half closed. In the hall, he heard rummaging coming from down stairs. At the bottom of the steps he was greeted by his Pikachu, who jumped into his arms and nuzzled the trainer's pale and toned chest with yellow fur.

"There's a nice sight to see in the morning. " Red spun around to see Leaf sitting at the dining room table. Her Jigglypuff sat on the table atop a stack of papers, an open laptop next to it. Leaf amusedly looked over Red's barely clothed body. His skin was consistently pale from head to toe, and his years of traveling and training gave him faint traces of visible muscle, something most people would love to show off. Red, however, was far too modest to be in front of anyone unless he was fully clothed. His face went from light pink to crimson before he turned on his heel and took off up the stairs, Leaf's laughter following him.

Red hated it when people just popped up like that, as Green was the only one he was comfortable showing his body to. Faint lines of scars also dotted his torso, badges of his training and dedication to becoming the Pokemon Master. Green always said they made him sexier. Red quickly grabbed a pair of blue jeans and slid into them, securing them with a belt he attached his pokeballs to. He took a black tee from the closer and pulled it on, then stopped as he noticed something peeking out of the jumbled mess of clothes. His old jacket. The one he wore when he became the Champion, and the one that slightly protected him from the harsh weather of Mt. Silver. Remembering the dream and feeling nostalgic, Red threw on the red and white, short-sleeved garment. The fit was snug, but it defined even more his back and shoulders. He looked in the mirror hanging on the closet door and gave himself a once over. _Damn_, he thought. He did look good. No longer the young trainer who defeated Team Rocket and Giovanni, he was now just a man with a looming legacy that he wished would fade into the past so he could continue his peaceful life with Green.

As he searched around for his cap and gloves, Red heard the doorbell sound off and Leaf moving to answer it. Pikachu ran into the room and hopped on the window sill to look out, and Red joined him after adorning his fingerless black gloves. At the door was a young man, possibly around Red's age, wearing all black with a Mightyena standing at attention next to him. Pikachu twitched an ear, giving a soft and inquisitive cry. The shaggy dog at the doorstep looked up and saw the two faces in the window, alerting its master with a low bark. The man looked up as Red and Pikachu ducked out of the window. Red wasn't sure why he felt he needed to, but something about the boy felt strange. A vibration in his pocket disrupted his thought flow. He pulled his cell phone out and smiled at the 'good morning' text he received from Green. He smiled brighter when he read the part about Green wanting him to visit the gym, and snorted at the added bit at the end mentioning Leaf coming over to do paperwork for the gym the Viridian Leader had been putting off. Deciding that was a better course of action than remembering his embarrassing encounter with the girl downstairs, Red made sure he had everything and placed Pikachu on his shoulder.

As Red walked down the stairs and towards the back door, Leaf called to him. "That guy was looking for Green. I told him he would be at the gym so you'll probably run into him later." Red simply nodded, and Leaf grumbled about how he never talked. Red knew that she knew better than to expect that. His voice was something else he only shared with Green.

The small two-story house sat on an acre of land Prof. Oak owned and rented to his grandson. A long drive connected it to Route 1, just a couple miles south of Viridian City. Red walked over to the small pond a few yards from the door, a Lapras floating lazily on the surface. It let out a small cry as he got near, and Red let out a sharp whistle that was carried on the wind. One by one, his team, the team that journeyed with him for so long approached. Lapras whined as Blastoise rose from under it, upsetting its balance. A roar of joy announced Charizard flying overhead, and it landed next to its trainer while a Venusaur lumbered up behind it. Red took a quick head count and frowned at a clump of trees not far away. A sharper whistle finally made Snorlax move from its favorite napping spot and crawl on all fours to Red.

With a final look, Red took four pokeballs from his belt and said, "Return." Snorlax, Venusaur, Lapras, and Blastoise disappeared into the red and white spheres, leaving Charizard waiting impatiently and Pikachu fidgeted.

"Pika, pii!" It cried, and Red patted the mouse on the head and carefully mounted the large orange lizard, avoiding the flaming tail. Charizard roared in delight as Red gave him his destination.

"To Viridian Gym."


	2. The Leader of Viridian Gym

AN: So, I'm going to explain the time line real quick. Red/Green were 11 when they started. Then it took one year for the generation to be completed. That would make him 12 when he went to Mt. Silver, then 15 when he got back. They are both currently 21, was goona put that in at some point. Enjoy and I love reviews

The verdant city was as lively as ever. People and their Pokémon meandered about the square, where Red and his orange mount descended. Returning Charizard to his Pokeball, he started walking. It was another block to the gym, but Red enjoyed the sound of people since he spent three years of his life without. A smell made him stop for a moment. The familiar scent next to him came from a coffee cart pushed by an old man with a Beedrill buzzing around his head. The old man let out a small laugh as he noticed his onlooker.

"Well hello there," he said. He poured a large cup of coffee and continued, "Nice to see you out and about. I always think about how you gave us that scare while back, and then pop back up out of the blue. The young gym leader smiled for a week after that. Something else all the old gossips talk about." The old man handed the coffee to Red. "On the house for the Champion. Good thing you came back when you did though, thought Green would frown forever. He would have more wrinkles than me!" He laughed out loud and continued on down the street. Red looked at the steaming cup and felt his heart drop. It felt like he still had much to repay to the green-eyed leader. He sipped the rapidly cooling drink and continued on.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

The young trainer fell to his knees as his Azumarrill fell over, fainted by the furious blow given by his opponent's Arcanine. The man shook his head and sighed.

"Sorry kid," he said sincerely, "maybe next time. I thought you almost had me for a second."

"You took down all my water types with one fire type! You wiped the floor with me!" The crestfallen trainer withdrew his fainted Pokémon and left the gym. Arcanine gave a victory bark. The trainers who hung out in the gym clapped for their Leader, who rarely lost a match. Green felt sorry for the young trainer and walked to the back of the gym that he claimed as his.

Green ran a hand through his brunette hair while looking around his 'office' space. When he took up gym leadership nine years ago, he completely remodeled the gym, leaving a large portion secluded for when he wanted to escape the noise of persistent trainers and let his Pokémon roam around. Arcanine ran around him and barked again, making the rest of his team growl and cry in their friend's victory. As the large, tiger stripped dog strutted around, Green searched for his usual partner. Umbreon, instead of napping in his favorite corner, was staring up at the rafters. Following his line of sight, Green became wide-eyed.

A small pink creature hung from the ceiling by using its long tail. It swung back in forth in perfect time, mouth open and blue eyes scanning everything. It noticed the young man and flipped right side up, tilting its head. It flew down and hovered in front of Green, hovering in front of him. It let out a soft cry, "Mew."

"Hey there little guy," Green said. This wasn't the first time the elusive pink Pokémon popped up. As it did little flips in midair and dangled its tail in front of Green's black and yellow partner, Viridian's Leader reflected on the past three times Mew appeared. A frown came on his face, and sorrow filled his eyes. The rest of Green's team gathered around the new comer, oblivious to the sadness starting to cling to him. Every time Mew appeared, it had something to do with a dark haired, crimson-eyed Champion he shared everything with.

A light pressure started at the base of his neck and started down. A shiver ran through him as the touch reached the small of his back. The touch and everything he felt in it could only be one person. He slowly turned to stare into the fiery eyes of his lover, rival, and best friend. Instinct took over as he wrapped his arms around Red's waist and pulled him in for a kiss. He breathed in the musky scent that covered the black haired man, the scent that permeated every sense he had. Red's lips ghosted over his own. He felt the fire run though him. They broke apart, both drawing deep breaths. Red's eyes flicked up and he cocked his head in a questioning manner. Green looked over his shoulder and saw Mew now playing a one sided game of tag with his team and Pikachu.

"Oh, him. He does that every few years." Green said. He looked hard into Red's eyes and asked, "Are you going anywhere anytime soon?" Red looked taken aback by the question. Green turned and led him to a door. Sliding it aside, it revealed a small room. It held only a lamp and a bed, the latter Green lay on followed by Red. They curled up to each other, Green noting the look in his lover gave the room as he recognized it. Green had told him how he rarely left it the entire time he was on Mt. Silver. They looked into each other's eyes.

"I can't express how sorry I am," Red started. Red's voice was like silk to Green's ears even as it made his heart fall.

"The first time I saw Mew, it was the day you took the Champion title from me. The next, it was when you disappeared to Mt. Silver." Green closed his eyes for a second then blinked away the tears fighting to get loose. "The last was when you came back. The only reason he would be here now is to say that you're once again leaving me for that cursed mountain."

"To be fair," Red replied, "we weren't together then. I didn't even know you felt this way about me until five years ago. And since then I've never left your side."

"I didn't even know back then. All I felt was abandonment. Like after you were Champion I was totally forgotten about."

"Green, I felt horrible when I saw your face that day. And then I was asked by Lance to do something. Something I couldn't tell you about then, and I'm not sure I can say now."

"Even when I showed up there?" They paused. Green felt the memory come flooding back, and Red's eyes gave away that he was too. The day he defied everything and trekked up the mountain to find out why Red left.

AN: So here it is. It switched POV in the middle. I hope you guys like :) This is my first so just keep that in mind and im not used to this uploader thing yet. So next chapter will be up in a week.


	3. Flashback Mt Silver

**_AN: Hree it is, flash back time! Have fun and let me know if theres something else I should do with the characters before I plow on with my story. New chapter in a week!_**

_Mt. Silver- 8 years ago_

Mt. Silver looked impassable. Green took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapidly heightening anxiety. After a whole year of hearing nothing, a rumor was spreading about a young man living in the mountain. It was considered sacred, so the trainer had to be special. And it was forbidden, as told by parents and elders, to climb the jagged peak without the Champion's permission. At Green's feet, Eevee cried softly. Something in Green's heart was begging him to see if the rumors were true, desperate for an answer. He tugged his jacket tighter around his body and began his trek.

The wind whipped around him, bringing with it the cries of Pokémon. The creatures on the hallowed mountain were supposed to be the strongest in the world. Fearing for his small brown companion, Green tucked Eevee into his jacket. He cried softly as he curled into his trainer's warm body. Quickly, Green made his way to the first cave he saw. Zubat came out in an angry swarm as he entered, making him fall to his knees in surprise. Taking a deep breath, he started to go deeper into the cave.

The tunnels were a labyrinth of rock. Green called out his Pidgeot and Machamp to fend off the Pokémon that seemed to appear every time he rounded a corner. After an hour of walking and fighting, he slumped against a wall. Pidgeot and Machamp were breathing heavily, exhausted after all the encounters. He withdrew them to their Pokeball. The tunnels were never ending, but at least he was gaining altitude. If he was right and the rumors were true, Red would be at the top. He wondered for a moment why he was making this hike. Red took the title of Champion from him less than an hour after he had gotten it. Everything he worked for just vanished. Then the look Red had when he had won, it wasn't happy. It was sad, and then he just disappeared altogether. Didn't Green deserve something?

Eevee jumped out of his jacket suddenly and sniffed the air. He turned to the trainer and yipped. Something was getting his attention and Green rose shakily. Eevee took off down a stone corridor and Green followed. "Red…" he whispered quietly, hoping that he didn't just jinx his chances. The tunnel lead outside, and amid the sudden flurry of snow Green saw a red clothed figure with a striped yellow rodent next to it. "RED!"  
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A whole had gone by. Nothing but snow and the company of his team. Red stood at the cliff once again, Pikachu standing quietly next to him. Even with his partner there, all he could feel was loneliness.

"Red!" A voice. One so familiar, it made his heart ache. He turned and saw a young man, brunette hair blowing in the wind, emerald eyes filled with worry. It was the one person Red had missed most. A new fire burned through him, and he forced his legs to move from the perch. One step and the figure was closer. One step more and Red found himself running towards Green. Then he was wrapped in warm arms, his chest pressed up against another. And for the first time in over a year, Red cried into the shoulder of his oldest friend.

Red led Green into the cavern he had made his home. Red's team roared in surprise at the visitor, and Pikachu and Eevee rolled around playing. Charizard roared and lit a fire for the two trainers, giving Green a friendly nudge as he walked by. They sat next to the warm blaze and Red felt at ease. Then Green's smooth voice washed over him even as the question he posed broke his heart.

"Why are you here?"

Red stared into the flames. "I can't tell you."

"Why the hell not?" Green yelled indignantly.

"Because I can't." Red curled up, hugging his knees.

"Red," Green drew in a deep breath, "I came up here with nothing but rumors telling me you were here. You took off with a word and I think I deserve to know why I lost my title than my friend."

Red stayed silent. They both stared at the fire for what seemed to Red like an eternity. Seeking conversation, he said, "I heard you were selected to be Viridian Gym's new Leader." Green looked at him in shock, and the pale trainer nodded to the cordless radio set up on a boulder, his only device to contact with the world outside the mountain.

"Green looked back at the fire and nodded. "Yeah, I guess Lance thought it would be nice consolation since I wasn't the Champion anymore. I haven't decided whether to take it or not." He gazed hard at Red and asked, "How long are you going to be here?"

"Until I'm defeated. Lance said that if I choose to come here I have to stay until I'm beaten."

"Then it's settled." Green rose and called Eevee to him. Tucking the him into his jacket, he declared, "You beat me a year ago. So if anyone can beat you, they have to be able to beat me too. So I'll become the key to your return. I hope that someone strong enough will come along to take me down, then climb up here and beat you. I'll see ya around Red."

Red jumped and grabbed Green's arm as he turned to leave. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Viridian City. I want to remodel the gym. Red," Green gently placed a hand on his, "Come home. We all miss you." Red swore something else was hanging in the air after that. Something more that Green could not say.

On his cliff, Red watch Green fly away on Pidgeot. Instead of feeling lonely, Red felt hope. He now felt excited about a fight he might lose.

"Pika pii…" Pikachu cried, sensing the change that had come over his trainer.

"Pikachu, I think I've found something I want more than being the best trainer in the world. I just don't know what it is yet." He did know it had something to do with Green. A strange feeling ran through him. Green was his oldest friend and fiercest rival. Was there anything more than that? It felt like there was one more step he could take. But what was it?  
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Green felt his heart soar. The beast that had been roaring since Red's disappearance was now quietly purring in his chest. He felt something new growing between him and Red, something that had always been there but was finally growing. Everything was coming together, and it was up to him to bring the last piece home. As Pidgeot flew, Green felt peace. His first stop, the Indigo Plateau.


End file.
